Dark Arbok · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Arbok card
Numbered 2 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, Dark Arbok is a Rare Holo, a Stage 1 Grass-type carrying 60 HP.
It evolves from Ekans, so Dark Arbok is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
Team Rocket darkened Arbok under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
Dark Arbok carries this Pokédex flavor text: "Freezes its prey with its stare. If you should encounter one, remember not to look into its eyes."
About Arbok in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Ekans. Hood patterns differ by region; the original Pokédex art shows a specific pattern that not all later art has preserved. Fossil Arbok has been quietly appreciating as part of a broader Team Rocket-themed collector trend.
What is Dark Arbok worth?
Dark Arbok is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Team Rocket's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Team Rocket holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Dark Charizard at the top; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Team Rocket shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The 1st Edition Dark Arbok carries the Edition 1 stamp under the artwork and trades above the Unlimited copy in matching grade. The set is also home to Dark Raichu, the first Secret Rare ever printed.
Grading and condition
Grading Dark Arbok comes down to the holo surface and the borders. The era's foil scratches easily, so even a pack-fresh Dark Arbok can drop from a 10 to a 9 on a single hairline. Inspect the window at an angle and the corners against the frame.
If you are collecting Dark Arbok
When you go to buy Dark Arbok, settle three things in order: the print variant, the condition, and a comp for that exact combination. A blended average across variants will mislead you on Dark Arbok, so price the specific copy in front of you.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
